I know readers will come to love her too!īlack Dog by Rachel Neumeier (YA Speculative Fiction nominee): What I really enjoyed about this story had to be the twist on the whole werewolf premise. I loved Gabi and know if I was a teen, I’d totally hang with her. This novel is rich with insights into a very real teen who comes at age at the end of the book. Reading it had me craving those homemade green tamales one of my former parents used to make for me every Tuesday.

A chica after my own heart. I loved the whole voice of this novel so much. Quintero shows us sixteen-year-old Gabi, who’s sassy, smart, hilarious, loyal, and struggles with her love of nom-worthy Mexican food. Gabi, a Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero (YA Fiction finalist): It’s so refreshing to read a novel that gets the whole Latina experience. Sure to appeal to reluctant readers with its multi-layered characters and action-packed scenes, this novel nails the horror of being caught in a disaster and portrays the courage and strength that can come when people are faced with terrible odds. It starkly portrays racism and classism among the rich cruise patrons, and the greed that drives some in power to commit questionable acts. The Living has a gripping plot featuring a Mexican-American protagonist and a cast of diverse characters. Added to the mix is a deadly disease that has killed not only Shy’s grandmother, but others. The Living by Matt de la Pena (YA Speculative Fiction winner) : What starts as a way for Shy to earn money to help his family back in a small town close to the San Diego/Mexico border turns out to be a horrific ride when the dreaded ‘Big One’ hits the West Coast.

All these books and others on my list reflect the beauty of a culture I’m very proud to call my own! There’s a story about an undocumented Argentinean teen living in the New Jersey suburbs, a Mexican-American teen’s experience, a picture book with references to Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, to a Latino teen stuck on a cruise ship during a disaster. Here’s a list of some YA/Children books taken from the Cybils 2014 nominated/finalist list. Now though, there are a few more books out there, which is a little step in the right direction. This was the driving force behind me writing Earrings of Ixtumea which has a Latina protagonist being thrust into a parallel world where she has to confront the heritage she shunned. As a former bilingual teacher, I found a huge discrepancy on what was out there during the 1990s/2000s especially stories with Latin protagonists. I’m very passionate about diversity in YA and children’s literature.

The Sowing by Steven dos Santos